Following its Assam cinema run and a MAMI Independent showing, festival award winner Village Rockstars 2 from Assamese filmmaker Rima Das is heading to six Indian locations on September 25. The release covers Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad and Pune, extending the film’s reach beyond the festival circuit.
A follow-up that can stand alone
Das’s 2017 Village Rockstars provides the earlier reference point, but Village Rockstars 2 does not require viewers to know that film. The new work uses a coming-of-age frame to bring together childhood, adolescence, nature, climate change, music and a mother-daughter bond. Through those themes, personal growth is linked with family life and the surrounding environment.
A teenage girl’s world in rural Assam
In rural Assam, the central character is a teenage girl dealing with friendship, dreams and the uncertainties that come with growing up. The emotional weight comes from her relationship with her mother, her attachment to music and her bond with the land. The film keeps these connections close to the natural world around her.
Two films, one decade of feeling and craft
For Das, the 2017 film and its follow-up span a creative and emotional decade. She said festival screenings introduced the films to some viewers, and she welcomed the chance to reach more people. She also noticed that each screening produced different responses, with viewers drawing individual conclusions. In her view, a film remains open-ended enough for audiences to supply the final pieces themselves.
The festival route before the cinema rollout
The film made its global debut during the 29th edition of the Busan International Film Festival. At that event, it was given the Kim Jiseok Award for Best Film. It then entered the South Asia Competition at the 2024 MAMI Mumbai Film Festival. Its European debut arrived in February 2025 through the Generation 14plus category at the 75th Berlin International Film Festival, also known as Berlinale. This Indian rollout follows the Assam cinema run and the MAMI Independent showing.
Environmental themes with a real-world echo
Assam and Nepal’s devastating floods give the film’s environmental concerns a real-world resonance. Its attention to land, nature and a shifting climate connects the rural setting with experiences of environmental change. After its Assam theatrical run, festival screenings and European premiere, Village Rockstars 2 is now moving toward a wider Indian audience through the six-city release.
